World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims

World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims

If you’ve ever lost a loved one in a traffic accident, you don’t need a special day to remember that person. You remember them every day, and although the pain eventually recedes, the memory never fades. World Day of Remembrance exists not to remind people of those they’ve lost, but to shine a light on the long-lasting effects of, and ongoing tragedies that are motor vehicle accidents. This year, World Day of Remembrance falls on November 21.

This day began in 1993, by victim advocacy organizations that were part of the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims. Ten years later, it gained the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), and in 2005, a United Nations resolution was adopted, making the third Sunday in November the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

World Day of Remembrance allows those who are grieving to commiserate with others in the same situation. It also gives car accident victims who sustained serious injuries the opportunity to bond with others who have had the same experience.

More importantly, this day serves to remind legislative bodies as well as the general public that more must be done to reduce the number of traffic accidents around the world. In the United States alone, more than 30,000 people are killed each year as a result of vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, many of those deaths are DUI fatalities, whether they’re the drunk drivers, or passengers in other vehicles.

World Day of Remembrance is one of many initiatives with the goal of increasing awareness about these tragedies, and encouraging stiffer penalties for serious traffic violations, thereby reducing the number of deaths that occur on the world’s roads.

If you’d like to get involved, there are many ways to recognize this day, and share its important message with your community. The World Day of Remembrance website shares several suggestions of events and ways to mark the occasion. It also shares messages and thoughts from people around the world who want to express their support for those who have lost loved ones in traffic accidents.